1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to phase change memories that use chalcogenide materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Phase change memory devices use phase change materials, i.e., materials that may be electrically switched between a generally amorphous and a generally crystalline state, for electronic memory application. One type of memory element utilizes a phase change material that may be, in one application, electrically switched between a structural state of generally amorphous and generally crystalline local order or between different detectable states of local order across the entire spectrum between completely amorphous and completely crystalline states. The state of the phase change materials is also non-volatile in that, when set in either a crystalline, semi-crystalline, amorphous, or semi-amorphous state representing a resistance value, that value is retained until changed by another programming event, as that value represents a phase or physical state of the material (e.g., crystalline or amorphous). The state is unaffected by removing electrical power.
Scaling of phase change memory cells is often limited by registration requirements for lithography pattern transfer over multiple critical layers for the memory cell construction.
Thus, it would be desirable to devise a process for manufacturing phase change memory cells that potentially reduces the number of critical lithography steps.